Automatic flush-valve.



No. 868.606. PATBNTBD 00115, 1907.

` P. W. LANDBLL.

AUTOMATIC PLUSH VALVE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.11.1901.

INVENTOR Vl TNESSES:

ATT NEY UNITED. srArnsATnNT omnes.A

lPETER w. LANDELL, or SAN-FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, AssIGNoR on ONE-THIRD To MONROE N. OALLENDER ANDoNE-'IHIRD To J. B. WILLIAMS, BOTH on SAN FRANoIsCo, ALI

FORNIA.

l No. 868.606.

AUTOMATIC FLUSH-VALVE.

Patented Oct. 15, 1907.

Application filed January l1, 1907. Serial No. 351,790.

To all whom 'it may concern:

, Be it known that l, PETER W. LANDELL, al citizen medium of the head 'of Water under control; which valve Vmay be either automatically or manually operated; and which will be simple,v neat, compact, durable and practical.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of partsas hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the` accompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 'is a section of our improved lautomatic flush valve. Fig. 2 is a section on the irregular line A B, Fig. 1.l Fig. 3 is a section on line G F, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on line H I Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section of a modified form of our valve adapted also for manual operation. y

The body oi the device comprises twoy concentric cylinders A.-B united to a common base C which is adapted to be secured to a vertical wall by any suitable means. The cylinders are spaced to provide an annular passage 2 which is yin free communication with the outlet 3. v

A plug`4 of special design screws into the interior of the inner cylinder and has aange 5 over-reaching 4the end of the outer cylinder and closing that end of thepassage 2. When the plug is in position the chamber is formed in the inner cylinder A and a piston 7 is adapted to operate in this chamber and carries a valve 8 movable toward and from its seat to allow water from the inlet 9 to enter periodically the cham-,

ber 6 in that end of the cylinder and pass thence out through the port 10 into the outlet 3. The duration of the opening period of this valve 8 determines the `flushing period; that is as long lasthe valve 8 is open water from the inlet 9 lows'un'der full main pressure when the apparatus is connected lwith the main into the outlet to produce the required flushing.

The operation oi the piston 7 to open and` close valve 8 at suitable intervals is automatically effected through the medium of differences ofA pressure produced in the apparatus by the following means:

The end of the chamber 6 oppositeto valve 8 is in communication with the .inlet 9 through the ports 11-12 and 13. By means of alregulating valve 14 the quantity of flow into the. cylinder 6 may be readily controlled. This valve' 14 is so placed that it closes against the llow of the liquid to facilitate cleaning out accumulations of dirtz' by opening this valve and allowing the apparatus to operate a couple of times, it will free itself automatically` of any foreign substances whiclhmay have collected around it.

The plug 4 which closes the ends of the cylinders Vhas a central port 15 leadinginto the radial ports 16 in the plug. These radial ports being in communication with passage. 2. Ports 16 are also in communication through the ports 17 in the web portion 18 of the plug, with a space 19 on top of the plug, in which space a valve 20 is operable to open and close a port in/a disk 21 whichl is held to the top of the plug by a union as 22. The port 15 aiore mentioned is closable by a valve 23 which latter is on the same stem with ythe valvev20. This stem which is represented at 24 is hollow and operates in a guide web 18.

The two valves 20-23 also have their exposed surlaces of different areas; the valve 20 being the larger, so that with the valves normally closed with equal pressures, per square inch, brought to bear on the two valves, i the valve 20 will push valve 23 open and simultaneously .will .open itself.

A crown25 is adapted to lit over the plug being held in position by a union 26. This crown is provided withan air compartment 27. The bottom o1' which is in communication through a port 28 with a space 29 into which the valve 20 projects. The bottoinoi this valve chamber is also in coi'nmunication with the water charnber 6 through the port -30; the size of which may be regulated by the needle valve 31.

The operation of the valve is as follows: The apparatus being sutablyconnected and the valves 14-31 adjusted properly and assuming the position of the parts to be as shown, that is. with the valves 8-20-23 closed, the water from the main under iull pressure passes through the ports 11--12-13 into chamber 6 and thence through the port 30 into the bottom of the air chamber 27. This flow into the chamber 6 and the air chamber continues until the pressure i`n the chamber 27 against the body of confined air equals the pressure inthe chamber 6; thereupon this pressure being transmitted through the port 28 and space 29 to the larger valve 20, causes the simultaneous opening of both the valves 20--23 due to the difference in pressureon these two valves; instantly there follows a discharge from chamber 6 out through ports A15---16 and 2 to the discharge 3. Pressure on that sideV of piston 7 being released it immediately flies to the other yend of the chamber, opening valve8 and allowing the full force andpvolume of water from the inlet 9 to pass through port 10 into the discharge 3 to produce the desired flushing effect.

It should have been stated that the piston 7 has a spindle 32 slidable and guided in the hollow stem 24. This 'telescoping o the spindle 32 and stein acts as a guide to preserve the proper alinement and operation oi the piston and valves 20-23. At the same time that the valve 8 is open by the-movement of the piston, and which movement is quite rapid, the piston contacts with the valve 23 to close it and also close valve 20, which both can do now that pressure has temporarily been relieved in the air-chamber.

With the valve 23 closed the pressure oi the water lrom the main flowing through ports Uni2- 13, gradually force the piston back until the val ve 8 is again seated. When a suitable pressure is once more accumulated in the air chamber 27 the operation is automatically repeated. l

During the whole ushing operation described the liquid is allowed to lpass .freely into the compartment (if of the cylinder and through the outlet l() intothe main outlet 3 until the valve 8 engages its seat, when no more liquid will flow until the next operation. I

The outlet 10 is so placed over the main outlet 3 that the liquid discharged into the main outlet 3 in a form .of a jet shall have a tendency to siphon out the contents of the receiving chamber 2, preventing back pressure from forming in it. This chamber or passage 2, also, has acapac'ity suiicient to hold all the liquid discharged into it from the piston chamber 6 and the air chamber 27.

The regulating valve 14 regulates the time during which it is desired to have the fluid pass through the main valve 8, and this time maybe varied to suit the condition by opening or closing the valve more or less as the case may be.

r1`he adjusting valve 31 governs the frequency with which ilushing shall take place. Valve 3l. may be set so as to allow the apparatus to flush at intervals of one minute or one hour` or any other time found desirable or necessary.

This apparatus is especially advantageous for usli- .ing urinals periodically, either where one urinalV is used singly or where several are flushed by one valve; or for any other purpose where al1-automatic valve is needed to deliver a certain quantity of water at fixed intervals of time.

lf the valves are for use with toilets it may be advantageous to render them capable oi manual operation aside from and in addition to their automatic feature, In this case it is only necessary to extend the valve stem 24 as shown in Fig. 5, through the air compartment' 27 to a point exterior to the casing, supply this stem with push button as 24 and shut out all possibility of leak from or into the air chamber. As here shown the stern is surrounded by a cylindrical sleeve 33 inside of and integral with the dome shell 25, which cuts off all communication between the air chamber 27 and the stem. A packing gland 34 is provided toprevent leakage around the stem. This form of apparatus will work periodically and automatically; besides it may be operated at intermediate intervals and in iact any time by means of the push button. 4 v I Having thus described my invention, what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is!- i 1. The combination in a flush valve, ofa casing having ingress and egress passages in communication through a i piston chamber in the casing, a piston operable in said chamber and carrying a valve normally shutting ott communicntion between said ingress and egress passage, a bypass leading from said ingress passage around said piston and entering said chamber behind said piston, said chamseaeoe ber having a valved-outlet which latter is in communica- `tion with the aforesaid egress passage', a valve in said outlet. and means operable-through the medium ot a compressible duid for automatically controllingthe'aciion ot said last-named valve. l

2. 'lhe combination in a flush valve, ol afcasing having ingress and egress .passages in communication through a pistonl chamber in the casing, a piston operable in said chamber and carrying a valve normally shutting off communication between said ingress and egress passages, means operable through the medium of a compressible luld for automatically controlling the action of said piston` and means embodied in the same structure for manually controlling the action of said piston.

The combination in a ilush valve, of a casing coinprising outer-and inner cylinders, said inner cylinder inclosing a piston chamber, a piston in said'chamber, said chamber on one side of said piston being in communication with the main ingress passage and with a principal discharge passage, a valve on said piston operative to shut off communication between, said passages. a passage-way between said cylinders communicating with a main discharge and also communicating,through a valved-port with said space in said -piston chamber, said casing inclosing an air-pressure-chamber, the latter having` communication with the piston chamber behind the piston, and means operable on the cqualizing of pressures in said air chamber and said piston chambcryto operate the piston.

l. The combination in a `flush valve. of a casing having ingress and egress passages in communication through a piston chamber. in thc casing, a piston operable in said'` chamber and carrying a valve normally shutting off communication between said ingress and egress passages, means operable through the medium of a compressible uid for automatically controlling the action of said piston, `moans for varying the length of the flushing period, and means for varying the frequency of the flushing operations.

5. The combination in :i flush valve, of a casing having ingress and egress passages in communication through a piston chamber in the casing, a piston operable in said chamber andcarrying a valve and normally shutting oi communication between said ingress and egress passages, means for operating said piston automatically, means embodied in the 'same structure for manually controlling the action of said piston, means for varying the length of the flushing period, and means for varying the frequency of the flushing operations.

6. The combination in a iiush valve, of a casing having ingress and legress passages in `communication through a piston chamber in the casing', a lpiston operable in said chamber and carrying a valve normally shutting off com ninnlcation between said ingress and egress passages, the

sin behind snid'pistonbeing in communication with the ingress passage, an air-pressure-chamber, said space having two outlets. one outlet communicating with said airpressurc chamber, the other outlet communicating with said egress passage, and means operable .on the edualizing of pressure'in said :ir chamber and in said spacc behind the piston to operate the latter automatically.

'i'.A '.lhe combination in a liush vulve, of a casing having ingress and ,egress passagesy in communication through a piston chamber in the casing; a piston operable in said chamber and carrying a valve normally shutting off comA munication between said ingress and egress passagcsthe space behind said piston being in communication with the ingress passage. an air-pressurechamber, said .space having two outlets, one outlet communicating with said :lirpressurehamber, the other outlet communicating with said egress passage. means operable on the equalizing of pressure in said air chamber and in said spncc behind the piston to operate the latter automatically, and means whereby the action of the piston may be manually controlled,

8. The combination in a flush valve, of a casing having ingress and egress passages in communicatiop through a piston chamber in thc casing,- a piston opcilablc in sniil chamber and carrying a valve normally shuttingl oil' com munlcation bctwcen said ingress and cgrcss passages, the

, space behind said piston being in communication with the ingress-passage, an air-prcssnre-chambcr, said space hav lng two outlets, one outlet communicating with said airf pressure-chamber, the other outlet communicating with exposed to the pressure in said ai chambe'r.i

9. The combination in a' ush valve, of aca'sing having i ingress and egress passages in communication through a piston chamber in the casing, a piston operable in saidl chamber and carrying a.- valve normally /shutting olf communication between said` ingress and egress passages, the space behind said piston being in communication with the ingress-passage, an air-pressurechamher, said space vhaving two outlets, oneoutlet Icommunicating with said air` pressure-chamber, the other outlet communicating vvith said egress passage, means operable on the equalizing of pressure in said air chamber and in said space behind the piston to operate thcrlatter 'automaticailyLand a valve in the passage'which connects said air-chamber-with theA space behind the piston for controllingthe frequency of operation. ,l

l0. The combination of a flush valve, of a casing having ingress and egress passages inrcommunication through a piston chamber in the casingha piston operable in said `chamber and carrying a valve normally shutting off communication between said ingress and-egress passages; the

space behind said piston bein'g in communication vvith the.

ingressl passage, an ar-pressurechamber, said space having two outlets, one outlet communicating withsaidairpressm'e-chanlber, lthe other outlet communicating with pressure .in saidair chamber and in said space behind the,

piston to operate the latter automatically, said means in- 'cluding two valves of unequal area mounted on the same stem, one of said valves exposed to the pressure in` the space` behind the piston, and the other 'to the' pressure in v the air chamber.

11. T'hevcombination -of a ush valve, of a casing having 'ingress and egress passages in communication through a pistn' chamber in the casing, a piston operable in said chamber and carrying' a valve normally shutting otr communication between said ingress and egress' passages,` the spa'cefbehind said piston being Vin communication with the ingress passagean air pressurechamber,l said space having 'two outlets, one outlet communicating with said air; pressure chamber, the other outletrcommunicating' with said egress passage, means operableonA thefequaiizing oi?v pressure in said air chamber andingsaid space behind the piston to operate the 'latter automatically, saidfmeans includng two valves of unequal area-mountedomthe same stem, one of said valves exposed to the space behindthe piston and the vother to the pressure in the air-chamber, and a spindle on said piston telescoping said hollow stem and maintaining/.the alinemeni: of said movable'parts. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses. l

' PETER W, LANDELL. Witnesses:

IS'. H. Nounsn FREDERICK E. MAYNARD.

pressure in the- 

